1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and device for producing electrolytic water such as acidic water usable as rinsing or disinfecting water and alkaline water which may be used as drinking water with high efficiency, and, more particularly, to an electrolytic water producing method and device capable of suitably controlling electrolysis of water to efficiently produce the acidic and/or alkaline water having a desired electrolytic degree.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, it has been known that acidic electrolytic water having low pH value showing acidic properties can be used as rinsing or disinfecting water in a food or medical field. However, such acidic water being low in acidity could not be stably produced in large quantities with ease.
A conventional water-electrolyzing device for producing electrolytic water fundamentally comprises an electrolyzer having anode and cathode chambers which are partitioned by an ion-permeable barrier membrane, and anode and cathode electrodes set in the anode and cathode chambers. When applying an electric current to the anode and cathode electrodes, raw water introduced into the electrolyzer is electrolyzed, so that the water in the cathode chamber is increased in pH value to be made alkali, and at the same time, the water in the anode chamber is decreased in pH value to be made acidic. Thus, acidic water having the low pH value and alkaline water having the high pH value can be produced simultaneously. It has, however, been difficult to continuously produce the acidic water and alkaline water having the desired electrolytic degree in large quantities. Incidentally, the electrolytic degree signifies the pH value, electric conductivity, oxidation-reduction potential and/or ion concentration of water.
Typical service water to drink has a small electric conductivity (EC value) of about 100 to 200 .upsilon./cm and substantial neutrality of about pH 6.5 to 8. The electrolysis in the electrolyzer can possibly be more activated by increasing the electric current applied to the anode and cathode electrodes, to thereby produce a large quantity of electrolytic water. However the voltage must be increased in order to produce the electrolytic water in large quantities because the electric current is reluctant to flow through the pure drinking water being low in electric conductivity, thus consuming a large amount of electricity.
Furthermore, the conventional general purpose water-electrolyzing device has suffered a drawback in that only slightly acidic electrolytic water having about pH 4.0 to 5.0 at most can be produced. Such water of a weak acid cannot suitably be used as rinsing or disinfecting water.